The
Party System
political
parties
In our country, there are
several political parties that stand for
the election. The presence of the political party is actually a healthy
situation for the nation. It gives people a choice to make a more evolved and
effective decision. Moreover, it drives the other political parties to get
better than their competitors to win elections and rule the nation.
So, this is the basic backdrop of political parties. But what is a political party?
Why do we need a political party? Let’s find out.
Introduction
to Political Party
A political party
basically, is a group of people. These people come together to contest
elections in order to hold power in the government. It is a way to mobilize voters
to support common sets of interests, concerns, and goals. The primary role
of the political party is to fix the political agenda and policies. So,
each party tries to persuade people by claiming their policies are better
than those of other parties.
In a broader perspective, a
political party is a means via which the people can speak to the government and
have a say in the governance of any country. So,
every political party must have three key components:
· Leaders
· Active Members
·
Followers
Functions
of a Political Party
Every political
party has a number of functions to perform. Here we have listed some of
them.
· A political party contests elections by putting up
candidates.
· In countries like the USA, the candidates are
selected by members and supporters of a party.
· On the other hand, in countries like India,
the candidates are chosen by top party leaders.
· Every party has different policies and programmes. Voters
make a choice in accordance with the policies and programmes liked by
them.
· In a democratic country, a large group of people
that has certain similar opinions group together and form a party. Then
then, give a direction to the policies adopted by the government.
· Those parties which lose elections form the
opposition. They voice different views and criticise the government for
their failures and mobilize opposition to the government.
· Political parties
shape public opinion. With the help of the pressure groups, the
parties launch movements for solving problems faced by the people.
·
Parties
even offer access to government machinery and welfare schemes.
The local party leader serves as a link
between the citizen and the government officer.
Importance
of Political Parties
A democracy cannot
exist without the presence of a political party. This is clear from the
function performed by the political parties. In case, there are no political
parties then:
· Every candidate in the election would be
an independent candidate. Any individual candidate does not have the
efficiency to promise any major policy change to the people. In
such a scenario, no one will be responsible for how the country is run.
·
In
the long run, only a representative democracy can survive. Political
parties are the agencies that gather different views on
various issues and present them to the government.
Party
System
There are three
types of party systems:
· One-Party
System
· Two-Party System
·
Multi-Party
System